What parents need to know

Kids learn about how TV affects a household and how to use your imagination and a cardboard box to pretend you're on TV.

Positive messages

Family fun time is worth having, so don't give it up to just watch TV. Playing with your siblings can be more fun.

Positive role models

Chloe is a middle child but takes a leadership role in her family. She stands up for what she believes in -- family fun time -- and persuades her brothers and sisters to step away from the set and play. Her parents are kind and understanding, and her dad brings a TV home as a nice present, not thinking it might disturb the family's time for free play.

Violence & scariness

Not applicable

Language

Not applicable

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Chloe features the return of a character introduced in Peter McCarty's award-winning picture book Henry in Love. In this story, Chloe shows her 20 siblings that playing together at "family fun time" is better than just sitting and watching TV. The book celebrates imagination and family togetherness -- which is significant for Chloe, the middle child in a big bunny brood.

User reviews

Parents say

Kids say

What's the story?

Chloe is the middle child in the Bunny family, with 10 brothers and 10 sisters. When her dad brings home a TV set, Chloe fears it's the end of "family fun time," as everyone quickly gets hooked on watching -- everyone except Chloe and her sister, Bridget, who jump in the box the set came with and start popping bubble wrap. Soon the sibs find it's more fun to play together and pretend that they're on TV than it is to be couch potatoes.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

CHLOE is a triumph for middle children and fun lovers everywhere. This book features the return of a character introduced in Peter McCarty's bestselling Henry in Love (2009), a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year.Story and ink-and-watercolor art work together perfectly, and McCarty, gives each of Chloe's 20 siblings distinctive looks in their human outfits, so there's lots to look at, even though the spreads and text are spare.

Not everyone has a big family, but everyone knows the lure of TV and can relate to spunky Chloe, a girl who just wants to have fun.

Families can talk about...

Families can talk about what's more fun -- playing together or watching TV. Why?

Do you have family fun time set aside every day? Every week? Think it sounds like a good idea?

What other cool things could you pretend to do or be if all you had was a big box and some bubble wrap?

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About Our Rating System

The age displayed for each title is the minimum one for which it's developmentally appropriate. We recently updated all of our reviews to show only this age, rather than the multi-color "slider." Get more information about our ratings.

chloe

Families can talk about what's more fun -- playing together or watching TV?
Do you have family fun time seat aside every day? Every week? Think it sounds like a good idea?
What other cool things could you pretend to do or be if all you had was a big box and some bubble wrap?

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